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ED2013 2/5 Reviews ED2013 Theatre Reviews
Our Friends, The Enemy (Alex Gwyther)
By Kate Pasola | Published on Thursday 8 August 2013
A tremendous tale of compassion and peace was milked dry in this tedious one-man-show. The solo performance compromised any opportunity for emotional arousal in the piece, and the story drowned under what felt like a show-reel of Gwyther’s favourite accents. A couple of sparkling moments were unfortunately overshadowed by an unimaginative and predictable ending, and the relentless military metaphors felt contrived and patronising. An underscore of vaguely emotive music was overplayed, and although the minimalistic set and authentic military uniform were helpful in the transportation of the scene to the WW1 trenches, they felt a very obvious choice. A little more imagination and fuller commitment to the emotions of an otherwise enchanting tale could transform this piece into something far more provocative.
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 24 Aug (not 11, 18), 6.05pm.
tw rating 2/5 | [Kate Pasola]
